THE CULTURE OF PEACE — Part II
Teachings of Islam
WE often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. The fact is that peace is deeply linked with the whole of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every sort of success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every sort of endeavour. Without peace, no positive action — small or big — is at all possible.
Killing a Single Person is Tantamount to Slaying the Whole of Humanity
The Quran tells us:
Whoever killed a human being — except as a punishment
for murder or for spreading corruption in the land—shall be
regarded as having killed all mankind […].
THE QURAN 5: 32
Killing someone is a very heinous act. It is legitimate only if someone becomes an incurable danger to social peace. To kill someone without genuine justification is tantamount to the slaughter of the whole of humanity, because such an action is a gross violation of respect for life.
It is as reprehensible and enormous a crime to kill a single person as it is to kill a large number of people.
With regard to the consumption of alcohol, a Hadith report tells us that if a large quantity of something leads to intoxication, then a small quantity of it, too, is forbidden. The same principle applies in the case of killing as well. It is as reprehensible and enormous a crime to kill a single person as it is to kill a large number of people. The only difference between the two is of degree, but in terms of the nature of the act itself there is no difference whatsoever.
From the above-quoted Quranic verse one can gauge the great importance that Islam gives to peace and security. Islam demands that if a single person is killed, the entire society must react as if it is not a single individual, but, rather, the whole of humanity, that has been slain.
Dousing the Fires of Violence
The Quran tells us:
Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God puts it out.
THE QURAN 5: 64
Success goes along with patience.
The above-quoted Quranic verse indicates that throwing a bomb in retaliation for a bomb thrown by someone else is not the way that God wants us to behave. God wants us to respond to situations like this by seeking to defuse bombs and render them ineffective at the very outset itself so as to prevent the disruption of peace.
It is natural and but to be expected that one will inevitably face various unfavourable conditions in society. No human society has ever been free of these. The solution to this problem is not to try to eliminate these conditions. Rather, their real solution is that we must make sure that we do not add an additional undesirable condition to the already existing ones. We must not add one more bomb to the existing number of bombs.
In this way, we can help prevent unfavourable conditions from further worsening, and, in this way, we can solve them. This is the real and effective solution to the problem.
Strife After Reform
The Quran tells us:
Do not corrupt the land after it has been set in order. This is
for your own good, if you are true believers.
THE QURAN 7: 85
We must completely abstain from violence and lead our lives entirely on the basis of the principle of peace.
Innumerable processes are at work in the world, all in accordance with Nature’s system of balance. The earth rotates and revolves nonstop. The sun continues to pour its light on the world. The winds blow, the rains come, the rivers flow, the plants and trees grow, and so on. Innumerable processes like these carry on without any interruption, day and night, all of them in a perfectly peaceful manner, with no violence or confrontation whatsoever.
This is the plan of Nature, and human beings should live according to it. Hence, we must completely abstain from violence and lead our lives entirely on the basis of the principle of peace. Those who behave to the contrary engage in what is termed in the Quran as fasad or ‘corruption in the land’. They are definitely not engaged in promoting reform.
Avoidance, Not Confrontation
The Quran instructs us;
Avoid the ignorant.
THE QURAN 7: 199
The opposite of avoidance is confrontation. Avoiding conflict keeps one within peaceful limits, while confrontation leads to violence between opposing parties. No one — whether individuals or groups — lives alone in this world. People live in proximity with many others, each of who has his own objectives and separate agendas. It is because of this that people and groups often come into confrontation and conflict with each other.
There are two ways to respond to this situation: avoidance of conflict, on one hand, and confrontation, on the other. There is simply no third option. If one chooses the path of confrontation, it will only result in fighting. The whole of human history testifies to the fact that fighting only enables one to give vent to one’s pent-up emotions but that it has no real benefit at all. Hence, one must abstain from, and consciously avoid, confrontation. This sort of avoidance not only saves one from further harm, but also gives one the opportunity to carry on in the journey of progress without being stopped by any hurdles that may come one’s way. Such avoidance may seem to be in reaction to an opposing party, but its purpose is actually to save oneself from useless confrontation and to carry on with one’s journey free from obstruction.
Patience, the Secret of Success
The Quran instructs us:
Have patience: God is with those who are patient.
THE QURAN 8: 46
According to a Hadith report contained in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Prophet is said to have declared that it is greatly beneficial to exercise patience in the face of things we do not like. Success goes along with patience. Along with difficulty, the Prophet added, there is ease.
It is natural and but to be expected that one will inevitably face various unfavourable conditions in society.
It often happens that when people are faced with a difficult situation or when they undergo a bitter experience, they get worked up. In some cases, they may even take to violence. But this sort of reaction is a result of being unaware of Nature. The fact is that the Law of Nature always supports those who are firmly established in truth and justice.
Such individuals and groups, if they act with patience and not in haste, will inevitably be successful. Success will inevitably follow them. According to the Quran (46: 35), the opposite of patience is haste. A person who behaves in a patient manner follows the plan of Nature. In contrast, someone who acts hastily deviates from this plan. And a person who deviates from the plan of Nature can be sure that it is impossible for him to succeed.
No To Conflict
The Quran tells us:
Let them not dispute with you on this matter.
Call them to the path of your Lord […]
THE QURAN 22: 67
From this Quranic verse we learn that, not disputing with someone means not giving the other person the chance to dispute. That is to say, whenever differences arise between two parties, they should keep them within the limits of peaceful dialogue. They must never let these differences go beyond their initial limits and transform into a violent conflict.
We must completely abstain from violence and lead our lives entirely on the basis of the principle of peace.
In this world, tensions constantly arise on various grounds between individuals and groups. In itself, this sort of tension is something quite natural. It happens everywhere, and under all sorts of conditions. The real thing to consider here is that we should make sure that these tensions or differences do not go beyond their limits. For differences to turn into physical confrontation or violence is for them to transgress their limits. No differences are in themselves wrong if they remain within their limits. But when they go beyond their limits they become unacceptable.
The above-quoted Quranic verse tells us something about how a person inspired by a worthy and positive purpose in life conducts himself. For such a person to succeed, the only thing that should be a matter of discussion with others is his purpose. For anything else to become a matter of discussion between him and others is futile.
Now, the question arises as to how can such a person, who is motivated by a positive purpose in life, establish a non-conflictual atmosphere in his relationship with others. The answer is that this is possible only by his exercise of patience in a unilateral manner. In practical terms, there is simply no other way. A person with a purpose in life adopts a policy of unilateral avoidance of confrontation, through which he is able to establish a balanced atmosphere in his relationships with others so that his journey continues uninterrupted.
War Only For Defence
The Quran tells us:
Permission to fight is granted to those who are attacked,
because they have been wronged […].
THE QURAN 22: 39
This Quranic verse teaches us an important principle that also relates to inter-community and inter-national relations. And that is, that the only legitimate war is one that is fought in defence, in response to clear aggression. All other forms of war are forms of zulm or oppression, and oppressors have no place in God’s world. As this Quranic verse indicates, wars other than those that are defensive have no justification whatsoever.
No differences are in themselves wrong if they remain within their limits. But when they go beyond their limits they become unacceptable.
According to the Quran, defensive wars may be fought only after issuing a clear declaration or announcement. Unannounced or undeclared war is not permissible in Islam. Furthermore, in Islam a defensive war can only be fought by an established government. Non-governmental actors do not have the permission to unleash war under any pretext whatsoever. Keeping these teachings in mind, it is clear that according to the law of war established by the Quran, all forms of war other than defensive war that is fought out of compulsion are illegitimate according to Islam. This means that guerrilla war, proxy war, undeclared war and aggressive war are all, without any doubt, illegitimate in Islam.
War is something truly despicable. According to the eternal Law of Nature, peace is the general rule or norm, while war is an exception. War can be resorted to only under extreme necessity—in order to protect oneself, and that, too, only when all possible peaceful ways to avoid confrontation have been sincerely tried and have failed.
The Path of Patience Wins God’s Help
The Quran instructs us:
Have patience: God is with those who are patient.
THE QURAN 8: 46
The path of patience can also be termed as the path of peace. The opposite is the path of violence. The above quoted Quranic verse tells us about a natural law—that those who walk the path of peace will find that at every step Nature helps them. On the other hand, those who adopt violence are denied Nature’s assistance—and for such people there is nothing in this world but failure and destruction.
What does walking the path of patience mean? It means that in the face of difficult or unfavourable conditions and situations, a person does not lose his tolerance, and so his positive thinking remains unimpaired. He distinguishes the possible from the impossible, and begins his journey from what he knows to be possible. He does not hanker after immediate results.
Those who walk the path of peace will find that at every step Nature helps them.
Rather, he adopts the gradual way. He does not lose heart in the face of loss; but, instead, keeps walking ahead with the future in mind. He accepts what the present gives him. As for what he might receive in the future, he adopts a wait-and-see approach. He keeps his desires under the restraint of the Law of Nature, rather than trying to subordinate the Law of Nature to his desires.
Patience is completely a positive action, and not a passive or negative reaction.
.....to be continued.
Part I of this article appeared in the previous Issue (No 19, July 2014).
One’s initial feeling of disappointment should quickly
transform itself into a greater determination
to try harder, and to channel one’s energies
more effectively towards one’s goal.